As a part of Drupal Developer API first initiative I’ve been working quite a bit with Drupal Developer serialization Drupal 10 module. This Drupal 10 module is a key member of Drupal Developer web-service-oriented Drupal 10 modules current each in core and contrib. Drupal Development Service most important focus of Drupal Developer serialization Drupal 10 module is to encapsulate Symfony’s serialization element. Observe that there is no such thing as a separate deserialization element. This single element is accountable for serializing and deserializing incoming information. Once I began working with this element Drupal Developer first query that I had was “What does serialize imply? And the way is it completely different from deserializing?”. On this article I’ll attempt to handle this query and provides a short introduction on easy methods to use it in 8. Serializers encoders and normalizers Serialization is Drupal Developer means of normalizing after which encoding an enter object. Equally, we confer with deserialization as Drupal Developer means of decoding after which denormalizing an enter string. Encoding and decoding are Drupal Developer reverse processes of each other, identical to normalizing and denormalizing are. In easy phrases, we wish to have the ability to flip an object of sophistication MyClass into a specific string illustration, after which be capable to flip that string again into Drupal Developer unique object. An encoder is accountable for changing easy information—a set of scalars, arrays and stdClass objects—right into a string. Drupal Development Service ensuing string is a handy solution to retailer or transport Drupal Developer unique object. A decoder performs Drupal Developer reverse perform; it’s going to take that encoded string and rework it into an array that’s prepared to make use of. json_encode and json_decode are good examples of a generally used (de)encoder. XML is one other instance of a format to encode to. Observe that for an object to be appropriately encoded it must be normalized first. Contemplate Drupal Developer following instance the place we encode and decode an object with none normalization or denormalization. class MyClass {} $obj = new MyClass(); var_dump($obj); // Outputs Drupal 10 Upkeep and Assist Service object(MyClass) (0) {} var_dump(json_decode(json_encode($obj))); // Outputs Drupal 10 Upkeep and Assist Service object(stdClass) (0) {} You may see in Drupal Developer code above that Drupal Developer composition of Drupal Developer two inverse operations will not be Drupal Developer similar unique object of kind MyClass. It is because Drupal Developer encoding operation loses data if Drupal Developer enter information will not be a easy set of scalars, arrays, and stdClass objects. As soon as that data is misplaced, Drupal Developer decoder can’t get it again. undefined Considered one of Drupal Developer the reason why we’d like normalizers and denormalizers is to guarantee that information is appropriately simplified earlier than being became a string. It additionally must be upcast to a typed object after being parsed from a string. One more reason is that completely different (de)normalizers permit us to work with completely different codecs of Drupal Developer information. In Drupal Developer REST subsystem now we have completely different normalizers to remodel a Node object into Drupal Developer JSON, HAL or JSON API codecs. These are JSON objects with completely different shapes, however they comprise Drupal Developer similar data. We even have completely different denormalizers that can take a simplified JSON, HAL or JSON API payload and switch it right into a Node object. (De)Normalization in Drupal Development Service normalization of content material entities is a really handy solution to specific Drupal Developer content material in a specific format and form. So formatted, Drupal Developer information may be exported to different programs, saved as a text-based doc, or served through an HTTP request. Drupal Development Service denormalization of content material entities is a good way to import content material into your web site. Normalization and denormalization may also be mixed to remodel a doc from one format to a different. Think about that we wish to rework a HAL doc right into a JSON API doc. To take action, you might want to denormalize Drupal Developer HAL enter right into a Node object, after which normalize it into Drupal Developer desired JSON API doc. A superb instance of Drupal Developer normalization course of is Drupal Developer Information Mannequin Drupal 10 module. On this case as an alternative of normalizing content material entities similar to nodes, Drupal Developer Drupal 10 module normalizes Drupal Developer Typed Information definitions. Drupal Development Service typed information definitions are Drupal Developer inner objects that outline Drupal Developer schemas of Drupal Developer information for issues like fields and properties. An integer area will comprise a property (Drupal Developer worth property) of kind IntegerData. Drupal Development Service Information Mannequin Drupal 10 module will take object definitions and simplify (normalize) them. Then they are often transformed to a string following Drupal Developer JSON Schema format for use in exterior instruments similar to stunning documentation mills. Observe how a distinct serialization may flip this typed information right into a Markdown doc as an alternative of JSON Schema string. Including a brand new (de)normalizer to Drupal Developer system With the intention to add a brand new normalizer to Drupal Developer system you might want to create a brand new tagged service in custom_Drupal 10 module.providers.yml. serializer.custom_Drupal 10 module.my_class_normalizer Drupal 10 Upkeep and Assist Service class Drupal 10 Upkeep and Assist Service custom_Drupal 10 moduleNormalizerMyClassNormalizer tags Drupal 10 Upkeep and Assist Service – { title Drupal 10 Upkeep and Assist Service normalizer, precedence Drupal 10 Upkeep and Assist Service 25 } Drupal Development Service class for this service ought to implement Drupal Developer normalization interface in Drupal Developer Symfony element SymfonyComponentSerializerNormalizerNormalizerInterface. This normalizer service shall be accountable for declaring which varieties of objects it is aware of easy methods to normalize and denormalize—that will be MyClass in our earlier instance. This fashion Drupal Developer serialization Drupal 10 module makes use of it when an object of kind MyClass must be (de)normalized. Since a number of Drupal 10 modules could present a service that helps normalizing MyClass objects, Drupal Developer serialization Drupal 10 module will use Drupal Developer precedence key in Drupal Developer service definition to resolve Drupal Developer normalizer for use. As you’ll anticipate, in you’ll be able to alter and change present normalizers and denormalizers so they supply Drupal Developer output you want. That is very helpful when you’re making an attempt to change Drupal Developer output of Drupal Developer JSON API, JSON or HAL internet providers. In a subsequent article I’ll delve deeper into easy methods to create a normalizer and a denormalizer from scratch, by creating an instance Drupal 10 module that (de)normalizes nodes. Conclusion Drupal Development Service serialization element in Symfony means that you can take care of Drupal Developer form of Drupal Developer information. It’s of Drupal Developer utmost significance when you need to use information in an exterior system that requires Drupal Developer information to be expressed in a sure method. With this element, it’s also possible to carry out Drupal Developer reverse course of and create objects in that come from a textual content illustration. In a following article I’ll present you an introduction on easy methods to really work with (de)normalizers in . Drupal 10 Improvement and Assist